Saturday, January 06, 2007
Book Review - One Child - Picture Book
Appropriately the child has no name for the child could be anyone. She is found in shades of blue and gray overwhelmed by the devastation she sees in the world around her: “oceans stained with waste, skies choking, and trees torn from the ground, animals killed to be worn as coats and shoes, fish floating in the river gasping for air, and birds shot for sport.” But as John Lennon once sang, “there are no problems, only solutions.” The young heroine devises a methodology that if followed by everyone would impose a positive impact on our environment. She begins by planting a tree, a small illustration of greens, yellows and browns among a two page collage of gray pictures depicting a variety of polluting deeds such as spraying, factory smoke stacks, high tension wires, etc. The next page brings two pieces of color, rather than one, to the collage when she chooses to walk to school as opposed to taking the bus, and to clean up her yard. She continues her efforts “writing for the sea, singing for the sky, marching for the animals and speaking for the world.” It is a strenuous undertaking for One Child, so she imagines other children joining in her efforts. As her imagination magnetizes more volunteers join her cause, the pictures become more delightful with their colors of wild life. Christopher Cheng has written a simple and poignant scenario to which all ages can relate and Steven Woolman has synchronized the author’s prose with his color palate.
# posted by Bite Me Kissimmee @ 12:59 PM 
